Alexander Lebedev to be investigated for 'hooliganism'

Russian billionaire newspaper proprietor Alexander Lebedev could be forced to do a stint in jail for punching a fellow tycoon after prosecutors said they had opened a criminal case into him for "hooliganism."

In an unexpected development, Russian prosecutors said they had determined the incident involving the owner of The Independent and The Evening Standard had caused "bodily harm" to Sergei Polonsky, a fellow businessman, when he was punched last month.

Mr Lebedev, who is said to be worth £1.3 billion, attacked Mr Polonsky on Russian TV during a chat show after the other man told him he would like to "punch someone's lights out." Mr Lebedev said at the time that he felt the threat was directed at him and that he was left with no choice but to strike first, delivering two swift right hooks to Mr Polonsky knocking him backwards off the studio podium.

Vladimir Putin, Russia's Judo-loving prime minister, has since publicly mocked Mr Lebedev, deriding his unruly behaviour as "hooliganism." Mr Lebedev, who is a keen blogger, has since strenuously defended his decision to punch Mr Polonsky, describing how he often had to use his fists to defend himself in Soviet Moscow when growing up. He appeared to be shocked by the prospect of being charged for the colourful incident and on Tuesday said on his blog that he had no comment.

If convicted of hooliganism, he could be fined the equivalent of £6,000, given 180 days of corrective work, or, in a worst-case scenario, jailed for up to five years.